Lincoln City will hope to continue their play-off push as they host Wigan Athletic at the LNER Stadium, on Saturday, April 13.
The Imps had won five games in a row before they travelled to Reading last time out. A 1-1 draw at the Select Car Leasing Stadium saw them drop points for the first time since March 2, but also extend their remarkable unbeaten run to 16.
With just four games remaining, that result dropped Michael Skubala’s side two points outside the top six after they had worked their way into it in recent weeks.
The 41-year-old previewed the SkyBet League One clash, saying: “We’ve got to be really focused and really aggressive with how we want to play and take it to them.”
Opposition: Wigan Athletic
As is inevitable at this late stage of a season, Wigan Athletic are one of the teams with very little to play for in their final three games.
Former Scotland international Shaun Maloney has overseen a topsy-turvy campaign in his first full season in charge of The Latics. However, after an eight point deduction due to financial difficulties, simply securing their League One safety can be viewed as a success.
Following a 2-2 draw at The Valley last time out, the Greater Manchester side are now without a win in four. So, they will come to Lincolnshire hoping to change their fortunes and begin a positive final stretch of the season.
Team News:
Ted Bishop is “touch and go” for the game according to City head coach Skubala. The 27-year-old midfielder has a minor hamstring issue that could see him have to sit this one out.
However, in better news for City fans, Danny Mandroiu is back in full training and available for selection, meaning it could well be one in one out in midfield for Lincoln this weekend.
Outside of that, the likes of Ethan Hamilton, Conor McGrandles, Lewis Montsma and Tyler Walker all remain out with their respective long term injuries.
Wigan will travel with the same squad that went to Charlton Athletic in midweek, but manager Shaun Maloney did say promising youngster Kai Payne could get his first minutes in a Latics shirt if he impressed during training over the coming weeks.
Head-to-Head:
The DW Stadium played host to a goalless draw when the Imps made the trip North in early December, for what was only Skubala’s fifth game in charge. The difference in where Lincoln where then and what they’re playing for now is almost night and day.
Over the years it has been an evenly contested match-up, with Lincoln winning seven of the 15 meetings and Wigan winning six.
City have not beaten Wigan in front of their home supporters in 26 years, as their 2-1 victory in December 2020 was played without crowds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Played for both:
The most recent name to play for both sides is Anthony Scully. The now Portsmouth forward swapped Lincoln for Wigan in the summer of 2022 after scoring 37 goals in 106 games for the Imps. His record at the DW was less impressive though, as he only managed five games for the club before moving onto the south coast.
With Wigan forced to deploy such a vast amount of academy graduates due to their ongoing financial situation, there have been very few in recent years who have bridged the gap from Lincolnshire to Greater Manchester.
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